Art of purifying mercury



Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

JAY G. DE REMER, F GREENWICH CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SAVAGE-DE REMERCORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

No Drawing.

mation of solid matter as the result of such contact and therebyeliminateIthe possibility of interference, by such solid matter, withthe operation or use of the apparatus; more especia' mercu ".that' itsuse in contact with ethylc'hloride-will not produce solid matter, and inthis relatioirthe invention-is useful in connecr ger in -a mms of thetype y zlirior. ,atent No. 1,373,174,

er'cury'ls employed as the piston tion with" means for compressing andcondensing ethylhich may constitute the refrigerant I m'fthat apparatus.Difiiculty has been eiiperiencedin the practical use of suchrefrigerating apparatus, from the development'of a deposit in or fromthe mercury, tending to clog the passages-of the circulating systemandinterfering with its regulation and 0 eratiom.

I have ound' that the reactionor coaction betweenf the fluid and themercury, which produces the solid matter referred to, is limitedingextenfl'and that by bringing the mercuryand the fluid into veryintimate and thorough contact, the capacity of the mercury to producesuch solid matter can be permanently exhausted. My invention accordinglyconsists in treating mercury by thoroughly mixing it W1th,, or exposingit -to, a quantity of the particular fluid with which it is later to beused until the production of such sdlid matter comes to an end,'and thenseparating the mercury therefrom.

The process is carried out in practice by enclosingcthe mercury in acontainer together with a quantity of ethyl chloride and then revolvingor shaking the container so as to pro.- duce intimate contact betweenthem. This operation is continued for about thirty-six apparatuswherethe purpose is to prepare or purify i which shortens the timerequired. After, say,

consists in mlxmg vride until the development of solid matteras ART OFPURIFYING MERCURY.

Application filed October 11', 1924. Serial No. 743,139.

hours,'more or less and according to circumstances, or until theformation of solid mat-- ter is determined to have ceased or to havebecome negligible, and then 'the deposit is skimmed or poured off thesurface of the mercury. The mercury is thus thoroughly washed ten ortwelve hours the fluid is drawn off with the solid matter produced up tothat point,

and substituted by fresh fluid, and toward the end of the process, it ischanged again. Ordinarily more than'two changes are consideredunnecessary. The ethyl-chloride or -wash fluid which has become dirtyfrom use is used over again after filtration, for treating the same orother batches of mercury.

Mercury thus treated is thereby adapted for indefinite use in contactwith ethyl-chloride and will not produce any non-fluid deposit orinterior coating on the wall of its container.

I claim:

" 1. The process of preparing mercury which the same withethyl-chlotheresult of such mixing'substantially ceases,

andthen separating the mercury and the solid matter. o

2. The process of preparlng mercury for use in contact with arefrigerant medium, which consists in thoroughly agitating the mercurywith therefrigerant in its liquid form thereby developing solid matterin the mixture, continuing such agitation until the development of saidmatter ceases or becomes negligible and oped matter from the mercury. 1

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification. I

' JAY G. DE REMER.

then separating the so-devel-

